Barrancos de Gebas

The lunar badlands of Gebas

The lunar landscape in Gebas is unique within the Region of Murcia, undulating areas of cultivation and plunging chasms of light chalk , creating a stark contrast of light and day in the bright sunshine.

The ravine, the “Barranco de Gebas”, was declared a protected natural landscape in 1995. It consists of clay and marl which have been eroded by the action of water over millions of years. There are also halomorphic soils which are the result of the salination of the bottom of the water channels.

The relief of this zone is characterized by gullies, ravines and canyons, which create what is popularly known as a moonscape. Vegetation is limited to grasses and populations of gypsum vegetation, and every year clumps of thero brachypodietea appear. The fauna consists only of a few rodents and other small mammals.

Apart from its unusual geo-morphology, the area also includes the Algecirasreservoir, the embalse de Algeciras, which now supplies the water of Gebas and various other local populations.

It´s a unique and exciting landscape, providing a total contrast to the green of the Sierra Espuña above it, and is well worth visiting.

To see "the badlands" as they are known locally from above, the best place to do so is the Mirador of Gebas, which is a viewing platform giving views across "the badlands."

To access the Mirador, coming from Alhama, a distance of about 10 kilometers, drive past the few houses which constitute the village , and at the far end of the village is a right hand turn on a bend, down the side of the Restaurant Mirador de Gebas.

After a short distance, there is a lefthand fork which leads down towards the cemetery. There is a signpost from the road, but then the road forks and there are no signposts. The right hand fork leads to the cemetery, which also has good views, but the left hand fork heads to the viewing point, which is a good kilometre further along the road.

There is plenty of parking, and a steepish little path down to the Mirador, so wear flat shoes if you´re intending to visit. It´s really not the best place to take those with limited mobility, although the views from the carpark aren´t bad.

It´s an astonishing view: the sandy grey ravines of the barrancos stretching out towards the reservoir and the startling jade waters of the Embalse de Algeciras in the distance.

For those who enjoy walking and are quite fit, there is a 4km round walk down from the viewing point to the embalse, but be warned, this is a steep route and although is described as being of medium difficulty is really only for those who don´t mind a lot of ups and downs, certainly not for the fainthearted.

It is possible to drive down into the badlands by simply turning off the road leading to the viewing point, but be warned, this is real off-road driving and the road is washed away by heavy rains and can be very un-nerving. It should certainly not be attempted by any car without four wheel drive and drivers with strong nerves.

It´s also easy to get lost.

By far the most sensible option if you really want to explore this area is to speak to the family running the Mariposa Hotel. They run inexpensively priced quad tours down into the Barrancos, and to the embalse, and are also able to arrange an english speaking guide who would be happy to take groups or family groups on foot down into the badlands.